This is the first year the TIL has invited a musician and filmmakers to become members: Willie Nelson and Richard Linklater, respectively. Other new members include El Paso’s Daniel Chacón, Eagle Pass’ Guadalupe Garcia McCall and Mary Beth Rogers from Dallas.

According to Smith, having an organization like TIL recognizing outstanding Texas writers and books about Texas is something relevant.

“TIL exists to sort of promote the idea that Texas is a unique place and that the literature about it is a unique literature too,” he says. “Most states don’t have something like TIL that recognize state literature.”